COVID 19 AND YOUR HEALTH ---- GOD'S FOOD LAWS #1

I  CANNOT  GIVE  TOO  MUCH  EMPHASIS  DURING  THIS  COVID 19  PANDEMIC,  THAT  YOU  NEED  TO  BE  AS  HEALTHY  AS POSSIBLE.  THERE  ARE  MANY  THINGS  THAT  A  LITTLE  STUDY  WILL  ENLIGHTEN  YOU  AS  HOW  TO  BE  HEALTHY,  SO  YOUR  NATURAL  IMMUNE  SYSTEM  WILL  BE  IN  PEAK  CONDITION  TO  FIGHT  OFF  BAD  INVADERS  THAT  WANT  TO  DESTROY  YOUR  HEALTH  AND  EVEN  KILL  YOU.

HERE  WE  BEGIN  A  SERIES  OF  STUDIES  TO  KEEP  YOU  HEALTHY - Keith Hunt

 Personal Health Example

What good health laws have done for me

by Keith Hunt

     True in the specifics Henry. The Lord told Israel that IF

they obeyed  Him (and of course that means all in that He laid

out for them) they  would be blessed in the field, body, etc.etc.

I think you will  remember those passages. So true it was an

overall blessing for an  overall obedience.

     But I see PART of obeying God as obeying health laws

(including food)  which I believe were from the beginning (not

just with Moses).

PERSON EXAMPLE

     Now if I may indulge....with an example of myself. I am by

birth  certificate 61 years old in September (I am writing this

in May 2003) I was fortunate to be born with  I think pretty good

genes and cells, shall we say somewhat close to what I think God

would like to see in all babies. Well I was healthy  through

age.... birth to my teens. But as I saw when age 13  I did  not

have a good balanced diet, but good genes I guess, for being as

healthy as I was. Yet looking  back, maybe by accident I did not

eat unclean foods.

     When I was 13 or 14 I sent away for the Charles Atlas

"health and  strength" course. A good portion of it, he really

ephasized good  healthy diet...he was in may ways, ahead of his

time in the 50s.

     I got to work right away putting into practrice his diet

laws. I  still have his twelve lesson course, and it is what many

today preach  for health...as natural as you can, lots of fruits

and vegetables,  whole milk if you can get it (in England at that

time you could get whole milk, the cream at the top, I do not

drink the store milk today, but I drink Soya milk, made with

organic soy beans - very good for you), no white flour products,

good whole  grains. This course started me on getting some books

from the Health  Food store and reading more. I started to take

vitamins and bee  pollen from that age on, and have never

stopped. 

     I never did like pork, or crab, and those kinds of things, so

by accident as I look  back I never ate unclean meat of animals,

or birds, or fish, or  mushrooms, but not because I was following

God's Bible laws, for I  knew them not at that time.

     When I came into the WCG at age 19 and learned God's clean

and  unclean food laws, I realized I had been basically following

them.

     I have so continued....getting exercise, keeping a good

mental  attitude, happy disposition (I play and teach music,

which helps keep me young as my students are mostly children and

teens. I sing and yodel lots also). I get 7 or 8 hours sleep a

night, eating good food, and  still taking vitamins/mineral and

bee pollen (very great stuff if you are not allergic to pollen).

     I have not been a great meat eater even of the clean

animals. If I can get it organic then I do eat more of it. But

I've never been one of those people that just has to have meat,

two, three, four, five or more times a week. I do like Salmon and

eat a fair amount of that fish.

     I have kept my weight in the middle range where they say it

should be for my height (5' 8" now, you shrink some as you get

older :-) ).

     Most people think I'm in my early of middle 40s, some just

not sure at all how much over 35 I am. Then the best  compliment

I had about three months ago, was when I was in the Music Shop

where I'm one of the teachers, and a few customers came in to buy

things. The  conversation led to me saying I had been teaching

music for 30 years. One of the men binked, looked at me and said,

"What you've been teaching for 30 years....you only look to be

30." The man who said this was himself about 30 years old, and

very serious.

     So, yes born with good genes I would say, but I've really

looked after myself from about age 13 when I got that Charles

Atlas course. He taught in his course, "You are what you eat."

And modern science agrees, we must replenish our cells by what we

take into our bodies in our diet.

     I'm not saying I will live to 120 like Moses....just saying

I really do feel BLESSED in my physical self for obeying God's

food laws. I was blessed to be able to start doing health laws

from a young age of  13 from the instructions of Charles Atlas. 

     I've only had the flue, you know that 4 or 5 day "stay in

bed" type, twice in my nearly 61 years, the last time was 1974,

after a terrible return by ocean liner(a roller coaster all the

way for 5 out of the 7 days) in December, and the flue bug was

all over that part of Canada where I docked (I've never had any

yearly "flue shots" either). First time was as a child before I

was a teenager. I do not catch colds very often at all, usually

it's been one every four or five years. So, yes okay, maybe good

genes but I think physically living the way I have from age 13

has much to do with it as well.

     I can only remember missing about two working days from age

18 because I was too sick to work at my secular job.

     Well you might say my contentions are based on

opinion....but I've lived it and it has worked...you know they

say the proof of the pie is in the eating.

…………………………

Facts on Pigs and Pork

It's Creepy!

From "COVENANT MESSENGER" (2007) Re. Leviticus 11:7-8      The pig or swine is a very popular food item with most Christians. Yet, Christians are unaware that the God they profess to believe in had condemned the eating of swine's flesh. The condemnation was based on some very sound biological, principles. Here are some facts on pork that prove it to be a very unhealthy food to eat.      A pig is a real garbage gut. It will eat anything including urine, excrement, dirt, decaying animal flesh, maggots, or decaying vegetables. They will even eat the cancerous growths of other pigs or animals.      The meat and fat (on those 'nice' strips of bacon) of a pig absorbs toxins like a sponge. Their meat can be 30 times more toxic than beef or venison.      When eating beef or venison, it takes 8-9 hours to digest the meat, so what little toxins are in the meat are slowly put into our system and can be filtered by the liver. But when pork is eaten, it takes only 4 hours to digest the meat. We thus get a much higher level of toxins within a shorter time.      Unlike other mammals, a pig does not sweat or perspire. Perspiration is a means by which toxins are removed from the body. Since a pig does not sweat, the toxins remain within its body and in the meat.      Pigs and swine are so poisonous that you can hardly kill them with strychnine or other poisons.      Farmers will often pen up pigs within a rattlesnake nest because the pigs will eat the snakes, and if bitten they will not be harmed by the venom.      When a pig is butchered, worms and insects take to its flesh sooner and faster than to other animals' flesh. In a few days the swine flesh is full of worms.       Swine and pigs have over a dozen parasites within them such as tapeworms, flukes, worms, and trichinae. There is no safe temperature at which pork can be cooked to ensure that all these parasites, their cysts, and eggs will be killed.      Pig meat has twice as much fat as beef. A 3oz T--bone steak contains 8.5 grams of fat; a 3oz pork chop contains 18 grams of fat. A 3oz beef rib has 11.1 grams of fat; a 3oz pork spare rib has 23.2 grams of fat.      Cows have a complex digestive system, having four stomachs. It thus takes over 24 hours to digest their vegetarian diet causing its food to be purified of toxins. In contrast, the swine's one stomach takes only about 4 hours to digest its foul diet, turning its toxic food into flesh.      The swine carries about 30 diseases which can be easily passed to humans.      The trichinae worm of the swine is microscopically small, and once ingested can lodge itself in our intestines, muscles, spinal cord or the brain. This results in the disease trichinosis. The symptoms are sometimes lacking, but when present they are mistaken for other diseases, such as typhoid, arthritis, rheumatism, gastritis, MS, meningitis, gall bladder trouble, or acute alcoholism.      The pig is so poisonous and filthy, that nature had to prepare him a sewer line or canal running down each leg with an outlet to the bottom of the foot. Out of this hole oozes pus and filth his body cannot pass into its system fast enough. Some of this pus gets into the meat of the pig (anyone for pig's trotters??)      There are other reasons grounded in biological facts that could be listed to show why pigs and swine should not be eaten. But a true Christian should only need one reason why not to eat this type of food and that is because God prohibited it. Those who say Christ abolished the law condemning pork are motivated by their stomach, not Scripture. The problems with pork are biological, and Christ never changed the laws of biology. (CM credits source as International News for your Health)                               .............. September 2007 Vegetarianism - God's ideal diet? What did the Lord teach to Adam and Eve?                          Keith Hunt      There  are  those  who  are  vegetarians  because  they see that our animals  are  polluted  from  man  made  "shots"  of  this  or  that substance.  They  are  well aware that most commercial meats are not anywhere  as  wholesome  as  they  used to be 50 years ago and more.      These  people  decide  to  become vegetarians from a modern "health" viewpoint,  and if they can not obtain natural "organic" meats they will eat no meat. I admit I am one of them, and eat very very little meat unless I can obtain "organic" meat.      But  there  are  thousands of "religious" vegetarians who are non meat  eaters  BECAUSE they think the word of God teaches that it was the Lord's original plan for mankind to eat only fruits,seeds,grains,and nuts.      No better illustration of this teaching and belief can be found than in the adult Sabbath school lessons of Jan/Feb/March l993, published by the Seventh Day Adventist Church: DIVINE DIET(GEN.1:29; 3:18).      "What  did God originally intend for us to eat? Gen.1:29. What did He add after the fall? Gen.3:18. Before  they  sinned, Adam and  Eve ate fruits, seeds, grains, and nuts.......When  did God finally give His consent for people to eat meat, and why? Gen.9:1-3. What restrictions did God place on eating meat? Gen.7:2. Think  about it: Why does it make sense now more than ever to return to God's original diet......"      The  scripture  that  religious  vegetarians  use  to  support their argument that God's original plan was to have humans eat only no meat foods, is Genesis 1:29.      We shall see that when you take the WHOLE written word of God, when  you  do as Jesus said we should do, and that is "Man shall not live  by  bread  alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth  of  God"(Mat.4:4)  - when that is followed we shall see that Gen.1:29 is NOT teaching that God originally intended mankind to be vegetarians.      Is  ALL  vegetation  good  for  food?  Of  course it is not! Some vegetation if eaten  will KILL YOU! Even some of the seed bearing vegetation is harmful to you. So Gen.1:29 is NOT an all encompassing simple formula as to what God intended our first parents to eat. God would have had to spend some in-depth time with them concerning diet and  what  they  should  and  should  not eat to remain healthy and strong.  We need to remember that the first chapters of Genesis only hit  the  high  spots  - much more than what is recorded for us must have transpired.  Are  we  to assume that after God blessed and sanctified the 7th day Sabbath, He never instructed Adam and Eve on how to keep that day holy? Are we to believe that after God created sex He never gave our first parents any instructions on sexuality?      What about husband and wife relations, are we to understand that God gave no lessons of instruction on this topic to Adam and Eve before they fell into sin?      The  Bible gives us no time frame from the 7th day of creation to the serpent leading Eve into sin - it could have been a number of weeks, months or even years. In any event, knowing God to be the loving, kind and merciful person that He is, it would be very improbable that He did not give much more detailed instructions on many important subjects that Adam and Eve would need as they began the beginning of their lives.      I have written very extensively on the law of Gen.1:29 concerning eating foods bearing seeds. In a nut shell (pun intended) the main teaching that God is giving us in Gen.1:29 is NOT that we should, or that He originally wanted us to be vegetarians, but that the vegetation we should eat should be seed bearing and green. In other words or as an example, what this verse in Genesis is teaching is that things like mushrooms or moss were not created to be food for the health and wellbeing of mankind. There is a teaching of "limitations" of what vegetation is to be eaten in this verse. This limitation teaching is the theme and main point of what God said to Adam and Eve in  Gen.1:29,30 and NOT that they were only to eat vegetation.      Now  ask  yourself  this  question, if it was the Lord's original "state of the art" plan for mankind to be vegetarians, then would you not suppose those Christians who were following God's original design to be the stronger - the more spiritually stronger - the less spiritually  weaker? Of course you would I think,for they would be the ones going back to the way it supposedly was before sin entered the world.  You  would think the Bible would hold up such people as the "strong in the faith." Well hold on to that for a while, and if you believe the vegetarian only eater is the more stronger in the faith, then  you  are  in for a big surprise, right out of the very Word of God.      Before I give you that eye opening verse that will "blow your mind" (if you've never read it before), first, I want you to understand a very important point of Bible STUDY. God has caused His word to be written down as a jig-saw-puzzle. He has  deliberately and methodically done this so people will be led astray and deceived - blinded from His truths. Until God removes  that blindness through the power of the Holy Spirit, not only can no one come to Christ to be saved from sin, but they can not understand God's word. Oh, they may understand little portions of it, but their errors will outnumber by far the truths they have. You need to look up and read carefully these scriptures that prove what I have just said is true: Rev.12:9; Acts 4:8-12; John 6:44,65; Mark 13:11,12; Mat.13:10-16.      Even  those  who have been called and chosen by the Father are to "Study to show thyself approved unto God,a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).       It was Jesus who said "Thy (the Father's) word is truth"(John 17:17). He was referring to God's inspired word as found in the Holy Bible. This only is truth, not some writings of a man or woman.      I want you to turn to Isaiah the 28th chapter. Notice what Isaiah says in verse 9, "Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand DOCTRINE?" A very good question indeed, then he gives the answer,  "them that are weaned with milk, and drawn from the breast."                                                             But in what way does being "weaned from the milk" mean?  Isaiah was inspired to tell us in the next verse, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line; line upon line; here a little and there a little."      God  has  put His word down like a jig-saw-puzzle - you must hunt and search for all the pieces of any particular area or topic before you can know and understand the truth of any doctrine.      Just as Jesus spoke in parables to the vast population NOT so they would better understand but so they would NOT UNDERSTAND, so they would not "get it" but be left in darkness and sin. So, God has written His word a little here and a little there, a line here and a line there, in order that those who will not study to show themselves approved, rightly dividing (putting together) the word of truth, searching it out and fitting it together like a jig-saw-puzzle, will, "....go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken"(Isaiah 28:13).      So let's put what we have just discovered into practice. Sometimes God has given us a line of truth in Genesis within the context of a certain topic and another line of truth on the same subject in another book of the Bible far away from Genesis. And this is the case here on this question as to the original diet God intended Adam and Eve to follow. We find more to this puzzle way over in the book of......TIMOTHY! Yes, way over in the New Testament.      Turn to the first book of Timothy and chapter 4. Paul was inspired to foretell about the latter days and a time when some would "depart  from the faith" in verse one. They would become so hardened in their false beliefs that were doctrines of demons, that their minds would be branded and just about impossible to change to acknowledge the truth. I hope dear reader your mind is not seared to the point where you can not admit your errors and rejoice in the truth.      We  see  in  verses 3-5 that Paul mentions TWO wrong doctrines in particular. One is "forbidding to marry" and we certainly have that doctrine around us today. One large Christian church still teaches its priests to remain single, and there are others who teach people not to marry when they are within God's law to do so.      But  now on to the second false doctrine that Paul talks about in some detail.  Paul is telling us that some would depart from the faith in the latter days and teach that we should abstain from "meats" or food, of what kind? - creatures is the answer (verse 4).      The word used here for "creature" is the same as James 1:18. We humans of flesh and blood are "creatures" in that sense of the word. So are cows, sheep, goats, and pigs and horses for that matter, as well as all birds and fish.                                              Is Paul in these verses telling us that we are now allowed to eat anything that moves, creeps, wiggles or crawls?  Some say he is and that God's laws concerning clean and unclean meats is no longer in effect today.      As we carefully  examine the words Paul uses we can see that is NOT what Paul was teaching.  The meats that Paul was saying some would tell you to abstain from, were to be received with thanksgiving OF  THEM  which believe and know the truth.  Again, let me ask, what is truth?  I gave you the answer earlier - God's word is truth said Jesus. And we are to live by every word of it He told us (Mat.4:4). God's word in Lev.11 and Duet.14 gives us the laws of the clean and unclean creatures. Nothing in the New Testament teaches that New Covenant Christians are set free from the physical laws of health that were set down by the Lord under the Old Covenant, and even before that covenant came. But all of that proof must be given in another study on CLEAN AND UNCLEAN MEATS.      Notice verse 4 and 5. Every creature is good and nothing to be refused  FOR, verse five says, "For it is SANCTIFIED by the WORD OF GOD and prayer."  Those creatures that are to be received with thankfulness by those who know the truth, are FIRST of all, sanctified by God's word - set apart by God's word. God's word sets them apart for you  -  tells you which kind of creatures are given to you for food to eat. It is not prayer that is first, you can not just pray over any slimy unclean creature and ask God to bless it to your bodies health when He has never sanctified it by His word for you to eat.      Those who know the truth, those who know what meats are set apart as fit to eat in God's word, can receive it with a thankful heart.      These  sanctified creatures are to be received and not refused as some in the latter days would teach.      Remember when Paul was writing this there was no large scale meat pollution of clean animals like there is today. Yet even with our polluted planet it is possible to obtain organic natural meats that only acid rain has contaminated, then acid rain has contaminated many organic vegetables also.      This prophecy of Paul's should make would be "vegetarianism is God's original design"  preachers SHAKE in their boots!  Paul said that in the last days a departing from the faith would include a doctrine from demons that would teach people to abstain from meats/creatures which God created to be received - as given in Lev.11 and Duet.14.      And that brings me to that word in verse three - CREATED! The Greek phrase reads "which God created for reception."       When were these clean, sanctified by God's word, creatures  made  clean? Sometime after the fall of man, or after Noah's flood?  No,they were CREATED clean, from the very beginning when God made them during those 7 creative days.      Genesis 7 tells you that Noah took seven pairs of CLEAN animals into the ark and only two of a kind from the unclean. The animals were clean and unclean before the flood. Paul was inspired to tell us they were made this way WHEN they were created.      Paul tells us they were created to be received by those who would know the truth. Did Adam and Eve know the truth? Sure they did! God walked and talked with them - instructed them in the way they ought to go. He had Adam give names to the animals, surely at that time God instructed him about which were created clean and which were created unclean - which were fit for him to eat and which were not. PAUL AND THE ROME CHURCH CONTROVERSY       Even  during the apostolic church age this argument of eating or NOT eating meat arose in a least one of the churches of God. And who did the Lord inspire to judge the matter, why the man who undoubtedly was the Churches most scholastic minister - the man who was highly educated and a past expert in Pharisaical teachings - the man Paul.        This  man was a student of the Old Testament and Jewish teachings and traditions. More important, he claimed he was personally taught by  Christ  -  see  Galatians  1:11,12. Certainly he had many of the gifts of the Spirit and was not afraid to use the scriptures to prove his point.                                                  He  was  not slow to use the first few chapter of Genesis to bear evidence to his stand. I would like you to note how he backed up instruction to Timothy about women teaching in the  church (l Tim.2:11-14).  He  used  the  book  of  Genesis  to  prove his point concerning  physical  circumcision and faith to the Romans and Jews, in his book of Galatians.      Paul was very well versed in the scriptures.                             There  arose among the members of the church at Rome the issue of eating all things (within the laws of God) and eating herbs only.      In other  words the issue of vegetarianism as opposed to those who were not vegetarians. Here was the grand opportunity for Paul to wax eloquent and put the record straight not only for those at Rome but for the whole New Testament church from that time on.                     Surely if any man knew the truth of Gen.1:29 it would have been Paul. If he had been fully taught by Christ and the Holy Spirit that Gen.1:29 taught God's original ideal for mankind was vegetarianism, he now had the opportunity to proclaim that truth to the Church in straight forward language. He could have easily said as Jesus often did, "from the beginning" it was not so or it was so. He could have easily quoted Gen.1:29 as he did with other Genesis verses, to prove the faith of the herb only eaters was the correct one from an "original" point of view. He could easily have upheld as "stronger in the faith" those who taught vegetarianism as God's original ideal as found in Gen.1:29.                                                     But he did NO SUCH THING! It would seem from what he did say the verse in question in Genesis DID NOT ENTER HIS MIND for one  second. He did not allude to it, quote from it, give it as an example, or even come close to it in any way.                            Now look at what he DID say. You will find it in Romans 14:1-2.         "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.  For one believes that he may eat all things: another who is weak, eateth herbs."                                               Notice carefully, Paul is not talking about someone who is  PHYSICALLY weak in body or health, but one who is weak "in THE FAITH."       Now who would you say could be "weak in the faith"?  A person who understands God's basic 10 commandments, who knows the 7th day Sabbath should be kept holy, who has repented and accepted Jesus as their savior, who has been baptized in water - could he/she be still looked upon as weak in the faith, not knowing too much else about the  Bible, still having lots to read and learn about God's way of life?      Yes  I  think they could be described as "a babe in Christ" - "weak in the faith". Many coming into the Church of God at Rome were from a pagan society, they knew very little about what God's word said on many aspects of living. They were still looking into the word to see how they would change their thinking, acting, and customs. Few would have come from the background that Paul was raised in, even many of the converted Jews had much to learn about the REAL truths of God's word, most of them had followed the traditions of the Pharisees or some other Jewish sect. There would be many in the church who would be as Paul said, "weak in the faith."      Some understood that God's word sanctioned the eating of MEAT - "may eat all things." In passing, there are those who say this is "doing away with" the clean and unclean food laws of the Old Testament, but does Paul mean by the use of the phrase "may eat all things" that a person can now eat the plant DEADLY NIGHT SHADE, or POISON mushrooms? Of course not! The "all things" that Paul is referring to is ALL THINGS WITHIN the LAWS of God.      Paul said, "another who is weak" and we have seen he was referring to weak in KNOWLEDGE, weak in the UNDERSTANDING of the faith, those, some at least, believed you should ONLY eat herbs and vegetables.      These are the two verses that should "blow you away" as I told you earlier that I would give you. There is just no way around it, the truth of the matter is pretty plain to see if you are willing to see it. In Paul's mind (and he was as spiritually strong in knowledge as any one, being directly taught of Jesus - Galatians 1) those who believed that it was God's original intention, or that it was spiritually more faithful, to be a vegetarian, were WEAK IN THE FAITH! They just did not understand, they had, at least on this point of the faith, some growing in strength yet to attain.      Paul did make it very clear in the following verses that the meat eater and the vegetarian were to accept each other as full members of the body of Christ. They were not to condemn each other. They were both at liberty under God, to either eat meat or not eat meat. Both were fully received by God as His child.      There is no law of God that says you MUST eat meat. God has given the clean and unclean food laws to show which creatures He created to be good food for humans, but He never said a person MUST eat meat as a way of life. It is interesting in passing that the PASSOVER and those participating in it were to eat LAMB! So all circumcised men and all women were to eat lamb at least once a year under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant this was replaced by BREAD and the fruit of the VINE. So, from the death of Christ forward no person has to eat ANY meat, at any time, if they do not want to.      Eating meat or not eating meat is a PHYSICAL thing. Spiritually it has NO influence on God at all. It is NOTHING to Him. He allowes His children to eat or not eat meat. God shows no more favor to the one or the other.      This eating meat or not eating meat is strictly PHYSICAL unless the vegetarian WANTS TO MAKE IT A MATTER OF FAITH, wants to make it into a spiritual issue, then if they do, Paul was inspired to write that from THE FAITH point of view, the vegetarian was "weak in the faith" - there was no scriptural ground for their belief that it was God's original design for mankind to be herb eaters only. To take it one step further, by saying such a stand was equivalent to being "weak in the faith" would indicate that the opposite, understanding God gave clean animals to be eaten by Adam and Eve from the beginning, was to be "strong in the faith." WHAT ABOUT THE EXAMPLE OF DANIEL?      Many religious vegetarians who want to take their stand on the platform of "the faith," will try to use the example of Daniel as found in the book of daniel, chapter 1 and verses 1-20.            The Seventh Day Adventist study lessons before cited were true to the context when they wrote:      "Daniel's test case was not so much over the benefits of vegetarianism as it was over his loyalty to God."      Notice verse 8 of Daniel chapter one. He was determined in his heart "not to DEFILE himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank...."       This section of Scripture does not tell us what the king was eating or drinking but whatever it was it would have DEFILED Daniel. As this young man knew the health and food laws of God he was not going to defile himself by breaking those laws. Obviously, if he had eaten the king's food he would have compromised his faith.        Nothing in this section of God's word shows vegetarianism to be spiritually superior or to be God's original ideal diet for mankind. THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS      It is recorded that Jesus was sinless, that He came to this earth and set us the PERFECT example of how to live - mentally, spiritually, and physically. His life in word and deed is the ultimate in perfection. He said that He did only what His Father in heaven wanted Him to do and to speak.      Jesus often had confrontations with the religious leaders of His time. Many of those encounters involved PHYSICAL things, customs and rites, such as eating with unwashed hands. Sometimes Jesus would answer by taking them back to BEFORE Moses and to God's original law and ideal.      The laws of clean and unclean meats had been a part of daily life among the Jews. Here was Jesus magnifying the laws of God, restoring them to their correct understanding and application, talking about the way things should be in the lives of His followers, setting the example in word and deed. If He knew that it was Scripturally correct from Gen. 1:29 that God's original ideal for mankind and especially His children, was to stop eating meat and become vegetarians, you would think that somewhere, at some time, during those three and a half years of public ministry, He would have corrected the situation, at least for His followers of that time and those to come afterwards. BUT HE NEVER UTTERED A WORD ON THE SUBJECT!!      Even after His resurrection, and His return to the Father in heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit to reveal all the truth and to bring all things to remembrance that He spoke, was anyone (that was used to write the New Testament) inspired to affirm that God's original ideal was to have all people as vegetarians. Not one word about this in the New Testament - complete SILENCE! And when something is said about the issue of eating or not eating meat, the person who believes as a matter of FAITH, is regarded by the inspired Paul as "weak in the faith."      Jesus set us an example. Did Jesus eat meat? He observed the Passover all of His life - so He ate LAMB at least once every year. The Bible is full of examples of the men and women of God eating meat, eggs, fish, butter, and milk!      Yes, in today's polluted societies, we need to be careful about the eating of meats, fish, milk, and the like, but then we need also to be careful about our choices of flour, rice, and sweets, for they can be terribly polluted also and/or robbed of all their natural goodness through refining processes.      I have seen far too many none meat eaters, who think they are returning to God's original ideal in diet, eating, as a way of life, white flour products, white rice, white sugar, too many refined sweet products, and drinking soda pops by the carton.      God's design for us was to follow His food laws as laid out in His word.       I will publish other articles under this food law heading as time permits.                              ................ Written January 1993 FOOT NOTE:      Some would say that in God giving man dominion over all the earth He was given the power over all creatures to rule and subdue them, so the horse would serve man, the donkey and the mule, the ox, even the elephant etc. He could train them and build circuses BUT they would not be for food, not even the "clean" animals, the argument would go.      This falls in the light of God giving man dominion over the FISH of the seas! If a man was to be a vegetarian why would God hive him rulership and dominion over that which was in the sea? The sea and that in it would be of no concern for mankind if God had told him to be a vegetarian and he was only to eat nuts, grains, seeds, and plants.      Man has never used the large sea creatures as cargo carriers of merchandise, so why at the beginning of man's creation was he told by the creator that he could have dominion over the fish of the sea, if he was not to eat of those fish? Surely nobody thinks this means that God was telling mankind he could catch fish to put in a glass tank and watch them swim around during the evening time while relaxing in his tent or hut because they would have no TV to view.      Surely no one believes this was the Lord's instruction for man to catch fish, for Adam and Eve to catch fish, and put them in a big pond so Cain and Abel could watch them swim around.      I suggest that by God telling Adam and Eve RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING that they had dominion over the fish in the seas, He was telling them that the fish of the sea were for FOOD. As I have said in the body of this article, God would have spent a number of hours and lessons of instruction to inform Adam and Eve about His food laws - the clean and unclean animals, birds, fish and creeping things, that He had created to be good food for mankind to eat. He would have spent some time with them instructing them about what green see-bearing plants were good for food, as some of them if eaten can make you sick, or even kill you within a very short time.            Verse 28 and 29 of Genesis chapter one, are GENERAL statements only. They tell us God gave to the first man and woman creatures of the sea, land and air, the plants and vegetation of the earth that was green and seed bearing, for food. These verses are GENERAL STATEMENTS and not all encompassing instructions as to what God told Adam and Eve about His food laws. In the same way Genesis 2:24,25 are not all encompassing verses about marriage and sex. The lord would have given them any number of lessons and instruction on both marriage and sex, as well as childbirth and delivery. ………………………… Food Laws #1 Vegetation, Blood, Fat  Written and Compiled by Keith Hunt VEGETATION LAWS      Most people who observe clean and unclean food laws as they find them in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, are often quite shocked to hear from someone like me that God also has a basic VEGETATION Law.      Yes, true to the way God has written His word, not ALL things on ALL subject in the Bible are in ONE PLACE....it is indeed, a little here and a little there.      Interesting are the arguments of those who do not believe in clean and unclean meats for the Christian today. They argue that no specific laws as Lev.11 and Deut. 14 can be found in Genesis, hence for them such food meat laws did not exist before Moses, so they then do not have to exist today. Then, those who think there is no vegetation food law, say God did not say anything about vegetation laws in Leviticus or Deuteronomy, hence they do not exist either.      Yes, interesting, put both arguments TOGETHER and there is NO FOOD LAWS PERIOD for the Christian today....just eat whatever takes your fancy...from MOSS and MUSHROOMS to SNAILS and chocolate covered ANTS to CATERPILLARS, I guess.      God's VEGETATION law is given right up front, immediately given to Adam and Eve:      "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb BEARING SEED, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the FRUIT of a tree YIELDING SEED; to you it shall be for meat (food)....I have given every GREEN herb for meat (food)" (Gen. 1:29-30).      Thus NUTS, FRUITS, GRAINS, VEGETABLES are for food. They are all GREEN at one time or another in their development and all have SEEDS.       The American Heritage Dictionary states:  "The ripened ovary or ovaries of a seed- bearing plant, together with accessory parts...."      Many VEGETABLES would also be included in this definition.      BUT.....the MUSHROOM (and others) is a FUNGUS and reproduces not by seeds but by "spores." It has no leaves, flowers, or green color at any time, nor does it have SEEDS!       Now, some "religious" people will here try to claim that all are seeds, just different types of seeds, or something to that effect (like some scientists claim all fish have scales, just large or minute, as we will see in the study under "Mackerel"). But the NONE RELIGIOUS, no axe to grind scientists of BOTANY (the study of the physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, and classification of plants - Oxford Canadian Dictionary), will clearly tell you, as does the book "ABC of Nature" that there is a large DIFFERENCE between SEEDS and "spores" - they are just not classified as being in the same group together. If this was so, then God had no need to stipulate to Adam and Eve anything about "green" and "seeds." There would have been no need at all for God to have said ANYTHING at all. He would just have needed to tell the first humans what vegetation was poisonous, and write nothing as He did in Genesis 1: 29-30.      Genesis was written (as most scholars agree) by the hand of Moses. If there was NO food law of vegetation, if there had NEVER been one, then God would have by the time of Moses, needed to have said NOTHING on the matter. Mankind by Moses' time had surely come to know what vegetation was poisonous, and would have passed that information on down from generation to generation, and the poisonous plants would have been well documented, if mankind was not to die from eating them.      But God DID have Moses write a basic law about vegetation for food. That law is stated in Genesis 1: 29-30.      The MUSHROOM is a FUNGUS, and it is never green, nor does it bear seeds. Here is something interesting from the book "HOW TO STAY ALIVE IN THE WOODS" by Bradford Angier, page 34, where we read:      "....one should avoid whenever possible turning to mushrooms for emergency food. Mushrooms have very little general food value. If you are not already an expert, the incurred risks will be far out of proportion to the possible gain. No single practical test is recognized, unfortunately, by which all poisonous mushrooms can be detected."      As Harold Hemeway points out: "Mushrooms, and any other fungi for that matter, obtain their food, not by photosynthesis, but from other organic material, like manure and dead leaves and carcasses. In his article 'Dietary Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens' Bruce N. Ames states that 'Most hydrazines that have been tested are carcinogens and mutagens, and large amounts of carcinogenic hydrazines are present in edible mushrooms.' " (Are the Food Laws Scientific? pages 3,4).      I will now quote from "BIBLICAL INSTRUCTIONS ON THE RIGHT DIET" by P. Bennett (all capital letter words for emphasis throughout these studies are from the author quoted or from myself):           "There has been much debate concerning the legitimacy of excluding the mushroom from our diet. Those in favor of mushrooms point out that nowhere in the Levitical Law is there any suggestion that they are banned. Invariably they will emphasize the nutritional value of the mushroom, in that it has a high protein content (so....big deal, I see TV ads all the time telling us what 'good stuff' is contained in 'pork meat'  - high in this and that vitamin and protein, and that we would do well to have pork in our diet - Keith Hunt).  Both points can be admitted, without affecting the argument against eating them. To go one step further, if we consult a concordance, we will find that nowhere in the Word of God are mushrooms, or even fungi, mentioned. So, if we rely on a positive translation of the Bible (i.e. does the Bible specifically say 'thou shalt not eat mushrooms'), one could reasonably think that they were allowed (hummm, yes, and the Bible does not say, 'thou shalt not smoke the leaves that make tobacco - Keith Hunt).      Such an approach may well explain why the orthodox Jews consider them fit and proper (and we shall later see that the orthodox Jews consider some "fat" to be okay, when God speaks against eating fat - Keith Hunt).      To understand the argument against the eating of mushrooms, we must turn to the very beginning of our Bible. In Genesis chapter 1 is the account of creation.....Then in verse 29 and 30, God tells man what he and other creatures may eat......      When we look again at the sequence of creation, we find the grass, herbs and fruit bearing trees were created before the animals. God in His wisdom ensured that there would be food for them from the moment of their creation......      Please note that the plant life given to man as meat was (1). GREEN and (2). SEED BEARING. In order to appreciate the significance of these two factors we need to look briefly at the biology of plants, and the way they live and reproduce.      Plants are green because their leaves contain chlorophyll. During the day-time the sun's rays pass through the leaf. At the same time carbon dioxide is absorbed into the leaf, and water is absorbed into the plant via its roots. The chlorophyll converts the sunlight into energy, which the plant uses to change the water and carbon dioxide to carbohydrates (i.e. sugar and starches). This process is known as photosynthesis.      Flowers are essential to the production of seeds. Some flowers are bright and colorful, and are grown to decorate our homes and gardens. Other plants have flowers that are so small and insignificant, that we rarely notice them. Each flower contains stamens, and ovaries. At the end of each stamen is an anther which contains pollen. In order for a seed to be produced, it is necessary for the ovary to be fertilised by the pollen. In plants, as in animals, in order to produce, there must be a union of male and female.      When we look closely at the biology of fungi, we discover two remarkable facts.      Firstly, for all their brilliant colors, fungi do not contain chlorophyll. They do not obtain the carbohydrates they need from the air through photosynthesis. Fungi, such as mushrooms, must obtain their carbonaceous food from other organic material. Hence the reason why we find them growing on compost heaps and decaying vegetable and animal material. To this extent they are the scavengers of the plant world.      Secondly, fungi, including mushrooms, are asexual. There is no need for male to fertilize female in order to produce. The mushroom spawn spreads out in the soil, devouring all the food it can find. When it has exhausted its food supply, it throws up the mushroom with which we are familiar. Under the cap of the mushroom are the gills. The cells on the outside layer if the gills become enlarged, and form sacs. These sacs develop minute stalks, on which the spores are formed. These spores are then released into the wind and carried away. They fall onto the ground and grow into a spawn, and the cycle of the mushroom continues.      In conclusion then, we have seen that when God gave man instructions on what vegetable matter he could eat, He stipulated that it must be GREEN (i.e. rely on photosynthesis), and be seed bearing (i.e. rely on fertilisation of female by male).       As fungi, which includes mushrooms, do not perform either function, they cannot be included in the diet God gave us." END of quote.      Someone is bound to bring up the subject of YEAST, which is also a fungus, and yet leavened bread is permitted except for during the 7 days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.      First, let me state that on investigating yeast and bread I discovered (by those writing the facts) that yeast does its job of leavening in the bread but through the process of the heat it is gone....it is out of there, vanished away!      Secondly, from the Bible, as Harold Hemeway as observed: "....we are not told WHAT leavening agent was used to leaven bread. Yeast is a word that cannot be found in the Bible. Other leavening agents are "Creme of Tarter" - "Sodium Bicarbonate" - "Phosphate" and "Alum" powders, and these are NOT fungi!      Then to be fair, God is not talking in Genesis 1:29-30 about MICROSCOPIC yeast, but about VISIBLE HERBS and TREES" (Are the Food Laws Scientific?).       Microscopic yeasts can float through the air, as does other microscopic things not so good for you. Most, if not all of these things are caught and are dealt with through the bodies natural filtering system. Breathing in polluted air and microscopic dirt particles, pollutants from car exhausts etc. etc. are by most healthy people filtered by our wonderfully made bodies (as the Psalmist said we are fearfully and wonderfully made).       God, in Genesis is talking about visible plants and trees and giving a basic law to follow. Even then it is not a comprehensive, in detail, law, for some green seed bearing plants are poisonous.      As Harold Hemenway has stated:      ".....we come to Genesis 9:3-4 which states, 'Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat (food) for you; even AS THE GREEN herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the BLOOD thereof, you shall not eat.'      Notice again the emphasis on GREEN photosynthesizing, herbs! It should be added here that many POISONOUS plants are both GREEN and SEED-BEARING (Deadly Nightshade, Foxglove, Sweet Pea, etc.) so the rule isn't ALL-inclusive, just EXCLUSIVE......So when the Bible generalizes by saying 'every herb bearing seed,' 'every tree' 'all things' (9:3), it is of course speaking in a particular context using a figure of speech known as a 'synecdoche' (all for part or part for all).....(Are The Food Laws Scientific, pages 4,5).      Again, it really should be pretty simple, most people who have ever grown a garden in their back yard, know what vegetables as seeds to plant. They know what is GREEN and SEEDS and what good basic vegetables are all about.....carrots, peas, broccoli, cabbage, corn, potato, beans, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes etc. The fruit trees are again well evident. God has given us so many varieties of green seed-bearing vegetables and fruits, there really is no need at all to wonder off into the world of "fungi."      I know of no one, no company, that collects MOSS from trees or lakes and sells it to spread on your buttered bread, but somehow people got into collecting and eating mushrooms, which if you were doing it on your own, you would probably kill yourself one day, by collecting and eating the poisonous mushroom. BLOOD      Quoting again from "Are The Food Laws Scientific" by Harold Hemenway:      "In addition to Genesis 9:4, the prohibition on BLOOD is found in Lev. 3:7 also where it is called a 'perpetual statute.' (See also Lev. 17:10-13 and 1 Sam. 14:32-33). Lev. 7:26-27 explains that this is a prohibition on 'any manner of BLOOD' of 'fowl' or 'beast.' The implication is that BLOOD of fish and grasshoppers is not prohibited.      But why avoid blood at all? Deut. 12:25 answers, 'You shall not eat it, THAT IT MAY GO WELL WITH THEE, AND WITH THY CHILDREN AFTER THEE, when you shall do that which is right in the sight of the Eternal.'       In order to better understand why EATING BLOOD causes things to NOT  go well, realize that one of the functions of BLOOD is to TRANSPORT BODILY WASTES and POISONS to excretory ducts in the body. Another well known medical fact is that INFECTIOUS diseases can be transmitted to man by means of ingesting blood of diseased animals (e.g. tuberculosis)! (and we have all heard about contaminated blood in different countries that has given rise to thousands contacting HIV, which can lead to full blown AIDS - Keith Hunt).      In other words, BLOOD contains a concentrated amount of disease, wastes, and poisons!  A fact not often published is the truth of how many persons around the world die each year from blood transfusions - it is very high indeed. If you are in a life or death situation you may decide to go the route of a blood transfusion. If you are unconscious you may get one automatically. But if awake, then at least you should know the risks, or you should know that it CAN be a risky undertaking. Many today are having their own blood taken and stored, frozen, just in case they ever need a blood transfusion. What God is talking about in this law is eating blood or drinking blood as a diet way of living. Many nations practiced eating blood as part of their diet and/or their religion. I do not teach you should never have a blood transfusion IF it is a matter of a life and death situation - Keith Hunt).      The main reason to avoiding an animal which dies 'of itself' (Lev. 17:15) is because the blood wasn't DRAINED OUT of the animal (v.13). Of course another reason is that it may have died of a disease. Animals 'torn with beasts' (v.15) should also be avoided because the throat wasn't cut to allow the blood to DRAIN.       In the U.K. a practice has been to stun animals with electric shock before slaughter. This procedure also prevents the blood from draining. Stunning with anesthesia is not acceptable either.       John S. Fox, in his book 'TODAY, TOMORROW and the GREAT BEYOND,' pages 353 to 354, says:      'The harmful presence of blood in killed meat has of recent      years been realized fully by modern scientists. It has been      found that in meat insufficiently bled, PUTREFACTION SETS IN      RAPIDLY, even though frozen; whereas meat which has been      adequately bled will keep for long period....Science also      shows that blood congeals in the flesh to such an extent      after death that no amount of boiling can properly remove      it.'      A person should avoid BLOOD PUDDING (also called BLOOD SAUSAGE) which is made from swine's blood and suet and sold in Germany and other nations (yes, growing up in England, blood sausage was very popular with many people, and it seemed to me as many people bought blood sausage as regular sausage - Keith Hunt).      ......Also a person should be careful to salt or roast even drained meat to ensure that the BLOOD is extracted......      The 'Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics,' volume 2, page 716, mentions that 'when the fresh blood of victims is drunk....The result is frequently seen in usual phenomena of possession.'  (This is probably why many pagan nations had blood eating rites, it was all part of their demon or devil worship, strange things taking place while worshipping these gods and drinking animal or human blood - Keith Hunt).      The LAW forbidding BLOOD existed at least as early as the time of Noah (Gen. 9:4), long before the Old Covenant was ratified.  Blood hasn't changed its chemical composition or function at any time, so why should anyone think this prohibition was repealed in the 'New Testament Era'? " END of quote from  Harold Hemenway  ANIMAL FAT      It is interesting to note the idea of not eating fat and eating fat, as taught and practiced by even orthodox Jews.       P. Bennett writes:      "....when a Christian is brought to a recognition of the necessity to keep all God's commandments, one of the first groups of laws that will effect his daily life are those governing his diet. A natural reaction is to purchase a Jewish cookery book and take all the recipes from there. But would he be correct to eat all the dishes described therein?       As a child, I was brought up to eat only permitted foods. For many years now I have served in the areas of London populated by orthodox Jews. Imagine my surprise to find that I could go into London's leading Kosher restaurant and eat liver pate, mackerel, mushrooms and other things that I had always believed to be unclean.      In most recent years I have had many dealings with members of the Muslim communities that abound in London. Although they also appear happy to eat items which I have regarded as taboo.      It is against this background that I have been looking at some of the 'grey areas'......            May I be allowed at this stage to acknowledge with gratitude the help given by The Board of Deputies of British Jews. The Islamic Cultural Centre, The Zoological Society of London. The British Museum (Natural History) and the Health Education Council. All of whom answered my queries so promptly, and in some cases suggested further avenues of study. Animal Fat      The orthodox Jew believes that there is nothing intrinsically wrong in beef suet, provided it is obtained from a correctly slaughtered animal. Perhaps it is because of this apparent seal of approval that most Christians observers of God's diet laws ignore His command to refrain from eating fat, as set out in Leviticus 3:17. 'It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations in all your dwelling place, that you eat neither FAT nor BLOOD' (Amplified Bible).      This command is repeated in Leviticus 7: 22-25: 'And the Lord said to Moses, say to the Israelites, you shall eat NO KIND OF FAT of ox, or sheep, or goat. The fat of the beast that dies of itself, and the fat of one that is torn with beasts, may be put to any other use, but under NO CIRCUMSTANCE ARE YOU TO EAT OF IT. For whosoever eats the fat of any beast of which men offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people' (Amplified Bible).      When we read the Ordinances given to the priest concerning the offering of animal sacrifices, we find no less than 60 references to fat being burnt. The reason is given in Leviticus 3:16, 'All fat is the Lord's.'  In certain circumstances the priests were allowed to eat the flesh of the sacrifice, but only after the fat had been burnt off. 1 Samuel chapter 2 recalls God's displeasure with the sons of Eli because they wanted the flesh with the fat.      Clearly then ALL fat is forbidden. What a problem this presents to us. As we wander along the shelves of our supermarkets, selecting the items we believe to be fit and proper, how many of us stop to study the list of ingredients.....      Many people are surprised to discover that in the western world more people die from HEART disease than any other illness, including cancer......In truth there is not one cause, but a combination of many factors, i.e. lack of exercise, stress, smoking, family history. Without doubt, a major cause of heart disease is atheroscleroses, or hardening of the arteries. Medical science has discovered that the arteries fur up through the accumulation of fats, cholesterol and calcium on the wall. For this reason western society is being advised to reduce its consumption of animal fats, and to eat polyunsaturated fats which come from vegetables.      It has taken a vast amount of money for mankind to discover that the eating of ANIMAL fat can be hazardous to health. Our creator God gave us this warning through His servant Moses almost 3,500 years ago." END quote from P. Bennett      Now here is what Harold Hemenway has to say on this matter:      "......Even before Abraham, Genesis 4:4 states, 'And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock AND of the FAT thereof. And the Eternal had respect unto Abel and to his offering.'       Now, if Abel used FAT as an offering in Genesis, the same as we find in Leviticus 3:16 where 'ALL the FAT is the Eternal's' and was to be burned upon the altar, then Abel would have NONE left to eat. He would have BURNED IT ALL! So Abel must have avoided FAT too! God is consistent.....certainly FAT hasn't changed its chemical composition from one 'dispensation' to another. These dietary statutes existed from the beginning and did not originate later with Moses or the Old Covenant!      ......Leviticus 3:8-9 clearly shows that INTERNAL FATS of animals are included in this prohibition also.      Quoting from PREVENTION magazine, February 1980, page 134, we read, 'In the case of heart disease, blame does not fall equally on all fats. Chemically, the fats in food come in several varieties. SATURATED fats....are most commonly found in meats, POLYUNSATURATED fats....are found more abundantly in vegetables, and in fish and fowl. A large body of research indicates that SATURATED fats are the ones to watch, in keeping guard against heart disease. Where the diet is rich in these animal fats, heart disease is generally a problem.'      Isn't  it proof of inspiration when the Bible says nothing forbidding FAT of FISH or FOWL, yet specifically enumerates the OX, SHEEP, and GOAT  FAT as forbidden?      THIS IS THE SCIENTIFIC DIVISION BETWEEN SATURATED AND POLYUNSATURATED FATS!      Incidently, Nehemiah's command to 'eat the FAT' (Neh. 8:10) refers to the 'fatted calf' (using 'fat' as an adjective) rather than the white, greasy trim on meat (using 'fat' as a noun). So there is no contradiction!      Eating animal fat (saturated fat) causes a build up of cholesterol in human arteries and veins. This in turn causes atherosclerosis. But vegetable oils (polyunsaturated fats) significantly reduce cholesterol (Prevention, Nov. 1982, p. 79). But make no mistake! These vegetable oils are UN-HYDROGENATED or only LIGHTLY HYDROGENATED!       HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS are just as BAD as SATURATED animal fats (Hydrogenation, America's Deadliest Killer, by John H. Tobe, 1962)!       Excess 'animal fat' has been linked to Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer (pp. 224 and 228 of 'Disease,' copyright 1983 by Springhouse Corp.)      Animal poisons are stored and concentrated in the FAT!      Consumers should take warning and avoid LARD, SHORTENING, SUET, GREASE, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS, and even EMULSIFIERS or MONO, DI and TRIGLYCERIDES which can be made form either vegetable or animal fats!....." END quote from Hemenway's booklet "Are The Food Laws Scientific?"      Harold Hemenway also points out that generally speaking over the counter GROUND BEEF and HAMBURGERS are HIGH in FAT, animal fat. He also mentions that certain ethnic foods like MEXICAN and LATINO foods, like the BURRITO are "notorious for their high FAT content."      He also in a later "appendix of additions" to his booklet points out that EGG YOLKS and WHOLE MILK are categorized as SATURATED FAT but the Bible ALLOWS BOTH to be part of our diet! He suggests that it is possible that NOT ALL SATURATED FAT is bad for you. He asks a question: "Are there different TYPES of  saturated fat?"      I'm not sure if modern science has brought forth the answer.      Hemeway gives an interesting statistical fact: "Compared to the general population, Seventh Day Adventist males, who abstain from tobacco, alcohol, pork and all other Biblically unclean food, live SIX years LONGER, suffer 47 percent less CANCER, 45 percent less HEART disease, and 47 percent fewer STROKES."      Those are quite the facts. I have over the years been associated with the Seventh Day Adventists people on many dozens of Sabbaths (when living in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, for a number of years, the SDA churches were the only Sabbath observing churches in the area, except for the Worldwide Church of God, from which I had departed two decades before). In other parts of North America I have also attended the SDA church on the weekly Sabbath. I have fellowshipped during their often "pot luck" Sabbath dinners, the food being generally wonderful and varied (though most "official" SDA pot luck meals will have no meat of any kind - individual families at home often will eat clean meats), yet I have noticed over the years, far too many dishes made from white flour and white rice, both which contain just about no nutritional or health value at all.       But the statistical facts on SDA males that Hemenway brought out are still worth noting. Although my view and teaching on the use of "wine" is not the same as the official stand taken by the SDA church.      Reports that have been aired on NATION WIDE news programs, as well as many articles in various magazines, show that in the year 2003 as I write and compile this study, we as North American people are not just fatter than ever before in our history but we have an ever larger OBESITY problem. And further these reports show that the facts declare that our CHILDREN are fatter and OBESE than ever before. Some of this problem is due to less physical activity, too much sitting in front of the TV and Computer. But a large part of this problem is also that we eat way too much "fast food" and "junk food" than ever before. FOOD LAWS BEFORE THE OLD COVENANT      By putting certain Scriptures together we should be able to see that God's  physical food diet laws have always been in existence from the BEGINNING. Verses to note are:      Genesis 1:29-30;  4:2; 7:2;  8:20;  15:9;  22:8,13;  26:5;       1 Timothy 4:1-5                                                   ......................... Written May 2003 POSTSCRIPT      The argument has been put forth that Genesis 1:29,30 is nothing to do with a diet food law on vegetation, but just a "general" God giving Adam and Eve (mankind) DOMAIN over everything, in the land, sea, and air. Sounds like it could be plausable looking at verse 28, and the use of the word "domain." But the fact is God uses a specific phrase in verse 29, "to you it shall be for FOOD (meat, KJV). And likewise in verse 30, "for FOOD."       God is giving a vegetation food law of "seeding seed" which we have covered above.      Then we have an interesting passage in Gen. 9:1-7. God gives pretty specific instructions in verse 1 and 7, nothing too general here. The specifics of verse 2 are well documented in the history of mankind. Verse 4, is a specific law, nothing there as generality, very specific I would say. Verse 5 and 6 is also very specific, nothing general about that at all.      So now verse 3. It would seem that the first part is very specific, "EVERY MOVING THING that lives shall be food (meat) for you..."      Hummmm, look back at chapter 7:1-9. God instructs Noah to take 7 pair of CLEAN beast, and ONE pair of UNCLEAN beast into the ark. Noah does this as we see in verses 7 and 8. Clean and unclean....what, in how they looked, or how they smelled, or how they walked, or how they slept, or how many times they washed themselves in the lake or river? I do not think so! They were clean or unclean as created FOR HUMAN FOOD!      Are we supposed to determine from this passage and the rest of the Bible (Lev.11 and Deut.14 and 1 Tim. 4:1-4) that the Eternal had His food laws of clean and unclean in the days of Noah and from creation?  Yes, I contend that is exactly what we are to understand.      Then, in Gen.9:3, is God here telling Noah after he comes out of the ark onto a somewhat new earth (after the huge flood that had taken place), that he and his family and mankind can NOW eat ANYTHING that MOVES and LIVES?       Notice the last part of verse 3, "even AS the GREEN HERB have I given you ALL things."        Well now, if there NEVER was a "vegetation law" - if anything and everything in the vegetation world was ALWAYS for food (obviously except for things like "deadly night-shade" that would kill you if eaten) and there never was a vegetation law of "green" and "seeding seed" food law, THEN here is a verse that is definately teaching that God REMOVED any food law, if there was ever one in the first place. And some indeed contend there NEVER was ANY food laws until Moses. And there are those that say those laws under Moses were not really food laws, but laws that made Israel different from other nations, for some kind of "holiness" as God looked at it anyway.      But if there WAS a vegetaion law that was "green" and "seeding seed" as in Genesis 1: 29,30, then we have no problem with understanding Gen.9:3. Every moving thing that liveth was for food for Noah and his family and mankind, AS, in like manner, with laws governing it all, as there were laws governing "green herbs" for food.  The details not spelled out but God surely would have instructed him in detail if there was a need to. Obviously  Noah knew there were clean and uncleam beasts before the flood, as we have seen from chapter 7.      It was also another way and time that God was telling Noah, that nothing had changed concerning food laws in anything that moved and lived, just as nothing had changed in God's vegetation law. As Noah was re-entering the land surface of the earth and building from his family more and more to fill the earth, so if was appropriate for God to reiterate certain things and even emphasize what God considered important.      I do not believe Gen.9:3 is saying that God was removing ALL and any food laws from the things that lived and moved.       All studies by Keith Hunt may be copied, published, emailed, distributed, as led by the Spirit. Mr Hunt trusts nothing will be changed (except for spelling and punctuation errors) without his consent. ………………………… Food Laws #2 The Yeast Connection Written and Compiled by  Keith Hunt THE YEAST CONNECTION      Sure as shooting as they say, some reading the first study of this series, have come back with the "yeast" argument...."Well we eat yeast all the time, Jesus ate yeast all the time, for He and us eat BREAD, just full of yeast" or "Well the Bible sanctions wine and beer...full of yeast, so fungi like mushroom fungi must be fine to eat."      Well a little time spent in research, a little time spent on the great Worldwide Web (where everything is today, this Website included) and the truth of the matter can be found, if you are willing and wanting to find it that is.      The following quote is from one of the Websites (yeastgenome.org) under WHAT ARE YEASTS? (all capital letters are mine throughout  for emphasis): QUOTE:      Yeasts are unicellular fungi. The precise classification is a field that uses the characteristics of the cell, ascospore and colony. Physiological characteristics are also used to identify species. One of the more well known characteristics is the ability to ferment sugars for the production of ethanol. Budding yeasts are true fungi of the phylum "Ascomycetes," class "Hemiascomycestes." The true yeasts are separated into one main order "Saccharomycetales."      Yeasts are characterized by a wide dispersion of natural habitats. Common on plant leaves and flowers, soil and salt water. Yeasts are also found on the skin surface and in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals, where they may live symbiotically or as parasites. The common "yeasts infection" is typically "Candidiasis" is caused by the yeast-like fungus "Candida albicans." In addition to being the causative agent in vaginal yeast infections "Candida" is also a cause of diaper rash and thrush of the mouth and throat.....      The most well-known and commercially significant yeasts are the related species and strains of "Saccharomyces cerevisiae." These organisms have long been utilized to ferment the sugar of rice, wheat, barley, and corn, to produce alcoholic beverages and in the baking industry to expand, or raise, dough. "Saccharomyces cerevisiae" is commonly used as baker's yeast and for some types of fermentation. Yeast is often taken as a vitamin supplement because it is 50 percent protein and is a rich source of B vitamins, niacin, and folic acid (hold on to this last sentence, for as a vitamin we shall see later that it is not "live" yeast that is, or should be used, but what is left after the yeast cell is killed - Keith Hunt).      In BREWING, "Saccharomyces carlsbergensis," named after Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen, where it was first isolated in pure culture by Dr. Emil Christian Hansen (1842-1909) in 1883, is used in the production of several types of beers including lagers "S. carlsbergensis" is used for BOTTOM fermentation.  "S. cerevisiae" used for the production of ales and conducts top fermentation, in which the yeast RISE to the SURFACE of the brewing vessel. In modern brewing many of the original top fermentation strains have been modified to be bottom fermenters......      The yeast's function in baking is to ferment sugars present in the flour or added to the dough. This fermentation gives off carbon dioxide and ethanol. The carbon dioxide is trapped within tiny bubbles and results in the dough expanding, or rising......      The yeastlike fungus, "Candida albicans," is commonly found in the mouth, vagina, and intestinal tract.  "Candida" is a normal inhabitant of humans and normally causes no ill effects. HOWEVER, among infants and individuals with OTHER illness a variety of conditions can occur. Candidiasis of the mucous membranes of the mouth is known as thrush. Candidiasis of the vagina is called vaginitis. "Candida" also causes severe disease in persons with AIDS and chemotherapy patients. END OF QUOTE      Take note of the last two sentences. In further reading I have done, the trouble begins with these microscopic yeasts in the human when the IMMUNE SYSTEM  is low, or simply shattered by some other sickness or therapy (like those taking chemotherapy) that destroys the normal function of the immune system. When the immune system is working as the Lord created it to work in the healthy person, then microscopic yeasts (that we sometimes breath in) are dealt with so to speak, they are kept in check and well under control, so no yeast sicknesses can develop. But if the immune system is below function or practically destroyed as in those with HIV and full blown AIDS, then.....yeasts can run wild and produce nothing but more and more troubles. YEAST FUNGI AND THE PRODUCTION OF WINE      From the Website CENTURY WINE  QUOTE: CHEMISTRY Science of wine      .......A glass of wine is a mixture of chemicals......The CHEMICAL COMPOSITION of wine is about 87.7% water, 11% alcohol, 1% acid, and 0.2% tannis......      (I guess the remaining 0.1% maybe some will argue are "yeast fungi." Of course I speak in guest - Keith Hunt).      After completion of FERMENTATION, wine is CLARIFIED by FILTRATION and STABILIZED.....during this development of wine, various yeasts and bacteria CAN BE PRESENT and further modify wine flavors. These YEASTS are generally considered SPOILAGE yeasts......      (Yes, if still present after Filtration and Stabilizing, those tiny little fungi yeast cells could ruin and spoil it all - Keith Hunt). WINEMAKING      Temperature Control during alcohol fermentation is necessary to (1) Facilitate yeast growth (2) Extract flavor and colors from the skin (3) permit accumulation of desired by-products (4) PREVENT undue RISE in temperature, KILLING THE YEAST CELLS.      (please note:  rise in temperature, heat above a certain level, and certainly not anywhere near the temperature of an oven baking bread, the yeast cells are killed - Keith Hunt) Clarification      Some wines DEPOSIT their SUSPENDED materials (YEAST CELLS, particles of skin etc.) very quickly, and the SUPERNATANT wine remains nearly BRILLIANT.....other wines, particularly in warm regions or when large tanks are used, may remain somewhat CLOUDY for long periods.      Removal of the SUSPENDED MATERIAL during AGING is called CLARIFICATION. The major procedures involved are FINING, FILTRATION, CENTRIFUGATION,  REFRIGERATION,  IRON EXCHANGE,  and  HEATING..... Fining      .....Proteins and YEAST CELLS are ADSORBED on Fining Agents such as Bentonite (a type of clay formed mainly of monthorillonite) or Gelatin.... Filtration      Filtration is another ancient practice.....Modern filter pads....The PORE SIZE of some filters is SUFFICIENTLY SMALL to REMOVE YEAST CELLS and most bacterial cells, but filters operate not only because of pore size but also by a certain amount of ADSORPTION..... Refrigeration      Refrigeration aids wine clarification in several ways. Temperature reduction often prevent BOTH yeast growth and the evolution of carbon dioxide, which tends to keep the yeast cells suspended..... END OF QUOTE      We should be able to gather from the above quotes that EVERYTHING POSSIBLE is done by good wine makers to REMOVE yeast fungi cells from wine.      Again, it was pointed out in the above that HEAT KILLS YEAST CELLS. And wine makers have to control heat while the fermentation and alcohol is working, and the heat they must control so yeast cells will not be killed, is way below the heat of the oven when baking bread.      As we are talking about yeast, bread and yeast cells being killed, yeast can die a "natural death" as well as being killed with heat.      From the Website MY BACKYARD.COM  and under "About Bread Yeast"  we find this - QUOTE: Fresh Compressed Yeast      Fresh yeast will only survive for one or two weeks....Fresh yeast must be "proofed" to be sure it is still alive. Proof yeast by mixing it with a small amount of tepid water (around 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit...) .The mixture should start foaming within ten to fifteen minutes. If it doesn't, the yeast is dead.... Active Dry Yeast      Active dry yeast is yeast that has been put into a dormant stage and dehydrated, then mixed with cornmeal to prevent it from clumping. Dry yeast does not need to be proofed.....Bring the water to 120 to 130 fahrenheit, add it to the dry ingredients and then stir for three minutes. The flour will PROTECT the yeast from the high temperature.....Dry yeast should be stored in the refrigerator. If purchased in bulk, occasionally proof a small amount to make sure it is still alive.... END QUOTE      Once more we note the "high temperature" situation. The flour protects the yeast for this section of bread making, the mixing of ingredients with water at a heat of 120 to 130 Fahrenheit. When the bread is placed in the oven for baking and a much higher temperature is used, there is no protection for the yeast cells, they are killed. Heat, such as used in bread baking ovens kills yeast cells, it's just that simple.      Now it's time to go to America's #1 guide to Natural Health - PRESCRIPTION FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING, third edition, by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC and James F. Balch, M.D. QUOTE: Yeast      Yeast are single-celled organisms that can multiply at extremely rapid rates, doubling in number in two hours. Yeast is rich in many basic nutrients, such as the B vitamins (except for vitamin B12), sixteen amino acids, and at least fourteen different minerals. The protein content of yeast is responsible for 52 percent of its weight. Yeast is also high in phosphorus.      There are various media on which yeast may be grown. Brewer's yeast, also known as NUTRITIONAL yeast, is grown on hops, a bitter herb that is also used as an ingredient in beer. Totula yeast is grown on blackstrap molasses or wood pulp. a liquid yeast product from Switzerland called Bio-Strath, distributed by Bioforce of America, is derived from herbs, honey, and malt......      LIVE baker's yeast SHOULD BE AVOIDED. LIVE yeast cells actually DEPLETE the body of B vitamins and OTHER nutrients.       In NUTRITIONAL yeast, these live CELLS are DESTROYED, leaving the BENEFICIAL nutrients BEHIND......(page 81).      Some studies have found that many children with ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) have HIGH LEVELS of TOXIC byproducts of YEAST and other harmful bacteria in their urine.......(page 205).      Candida albicans, a single-cell fungus, is always present in the genital and intestinal tracts. If it is present in DIS-proportionate quantities, however, it can cause infection. Diaper rash, vaginitis, and thrush are some of the possible manifestations of candida infection.....Yeasts, including candida, feed on sugar. If the body's Hp balance is upset for any reason, the friendly bacteria (such as lactobacilli) that normally metabolize sugars cannot thrive and do their job properly, and there is a risk of Candida albicans flourishing in this sugar-rich environment.....(page 263, 264)       Certain types of fungi (most commonly candida and tinea) can infect the skin and/or mucous membranes; they can also grow under the nails, between the toes, or on internal surfaces of the colon and other organs.       Fungi infections of the skin is most common in places where skin tends to be moist and one skin surface is in contact with another, such as the groin area ("jock itch") and between the toes ("athletes' foot"). A type of scalp infection known as tinea capitis is found mainly in schoolchildren, although adults also may be infected. Moist, possibly itchy, red patches anywhere on the body can indicate fungal infection. In babies, a fungal infection can manifest itself as diaper rash......      Fungal infection of the mouth is referred to as oral thrush....This condition is most common in infants and in those with COMPROMISED immune systems.      Nursing mothers sometimes develop a Candida infection of the nipples that causes severe pain while feeding. This can be further complicated if the baby develops oral thrush; it can lead to a "ping-pong" effect in which mother and baby continually reinfect each other.            Fungal infection under the nails (paronychia) or between the toes many cause discoloration and swelling, and the nails may become raised above the surface of the nail bed.       In fungal infection of the vagina (yeast infection), a cheesy discharge is present, usually accompanied by intense itching.      Ringworm, also known as tinea infection, is a fungal infection of the skin or scalp. Caused by various species of fungi - mainly microspora, trichophyta, and epidermophyta, it is characterized by the development of small red spots that grow to a size of about one- quarter inch in diameter. As the spots expand, the centers tend to heal and clear while the borders are raised, red, and scaly, giving them a ringlike appearance. Like other fungal infections ringworm can be very itchy.      RECURRENT fungal infections are a common sign of DEPRESSED IMMUNE function. The people most likely to be affected are those who have diseases such as diabetes or cancer, or who are infected with human IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV). Women who use oral contraceptives and people taking antibiotics are at higher risk as well, as are people who are obese and/or who perspire heavily......(page 387). END QUOTE      So what have we learnt? Microscopic one cell fungi yeasts are in nature, they are in the land, on plant leaves, in the water, even in the air. But we need to be careful not to think our environment is running over the brim with "yeast fungi." As an example, we know yeast fungi can be in the air. Years ago, one religious preacher was trying to uphold the idea that the Israelites went out of Egypt at the great Exodus (Exodus chapter 12 and 13), in a few hours. Talking about their bread not having time to rise, he claimed it must have been only a few hours, because "yeast cells" are in the AIR. He was making it sound like yeast cells are just everywhere in the air, that we have all this great amount of tiny invisible to the human eye, yeast cells floating around in the air.       I did what you have read about in some quotes or instructions on "starter bread," I put some flour dough out in the open air under the sun. I left it there for a number of days. Did yeast cells come smashing into it and so start their little job of fermenting and raising the dough bread? NOT AT ALL! The dough bread just simply got hard and did not move up in height one hundredth of an inch.      Yes, yeast cells CAN be in the air, but the air is not just plastered with them, and it has to be certain types of yeast cells to raise bread dough.      God has created yeast cells, they are in nature and certain ones are inside us. They have a purpose in and throughout the physical planet. Our natural God created IMMUNE system, when working as God designed it to work, keeps it in check, keeps it under control, yeast cells, the small amount we may breath in from time to time, or the microscopic amount that may be on some food we eat at times.       The creation is very complex in microscopic organisms, bacteria, chemicals, etc. etc. Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made as the Psalmist said. There are checks and balances. When all is working as God intended, our immune system takes care of microscopic yeast cells. If all is NOT working well, for whatever reason, or if we break food laws that God built into the whole structure of humans and the planet, then yeast cells have the opportunity to RUN WILD so to speak. What they then can do, what they then can bring upon us is NOT pleasant at all. Some of those unpleasant things you have just read about in the quotes immediately above.      We should NOT be eating, as a way of life diet, LIVE yeast cells. Many foods and vitamin products have on the label that it contains NO yeast. The world has come to see that many health problems have arisen through deliberate live yeast eating, hence they mark on their labels that no yeast is present in their product. I have a few vitamin boxes before me (vitamins I take each day) and "no yeast" is part of what is NOT in them.      We have seen that good wine makers take long and careful efforts to REMOVE all, or certainly the vast majority, yeast cells from their wine.      We have seen that HEAT, especially the heat used in a baker's oven, KILLS yeast cells. I have been notified by one of the breading making companies on the Internet that yeast cells cannot withstand a temperature over 140 F, they are killed if the heat is over 140 F. We are not eating live yeast cells when eating oven baked bread. Breads, buns etc. that have live yeast cells in them and are not oven baked, should be avoided.      Remember, from the above, that it was said that NUTRITIONAL yeast is yeast cells that have been KILLED and the good nutrients retained.      The yeast fungi can be used for our benefit IF used correctly and wisely (as in wine, beer, and bread making), but if not used wisely and correctly, then you may reap in your body the very unpleasant results of yeast fungi running wild among your other cells of your body.      Keep your immune system in high gear by obeying the physical food laws that the Eternal God created and instituted from the very beginning, from Genesis chapter one. The importance of a good diet with lots of the clean vegetation (green and seed bearing) of fruits and vegetables that are so varied, cannot be over stated.                    ........................... Written May 2003 POSTSCRIPT      The argument has been put forth: "Well, even if yeast cells are killed in the high temperature of the bread baking ovens, those yeast cells can't just disappear, they must be in the bread."       Yes, this is indeed true, they are still there BUT they are DEAD, very dead!      The next argument is that some being allergic to yeasts are told not to eat bread. When it comes to allergies, it is a very strange type of disease. Some are allergic to all kinds of things, ALIVE or DEAD, as we look at or think about alive or dead.       I once knew this young lady who had one of the worst allergic reaction diseases I have very heard about. She became allergic to many many things, not just a few, but a great many. The family finally had to move to a house out in the country-side, that had NO chemical farming around it, only organic farming. The house had to be re-finished inside and outside. Her bedroom had to be very special. She was allergic to certain paints on the wall, carpets were absolutely out, they had to install hardwood floors. For a number of years she was a prisoner in her own bedroom, hardly ever being able to wander around the house or outside. She was even allergic to PEOPLE!      So for someone to be allergic to DEAD yeast cells, still remaining in oven baked bread (to go along with the supposition that some or even all the yeast cells remain in the bread after baking) is not at all improbable. Something does not have to be what we consider "alive" for some people to be allergic to. Paint on the wall or carpets are not what we term "alive" but that young lady I mentioned above was sure allergic to them.      Of course some, especially today, when modern science has been able to break-down the fine nitty-gritty of substances (which was not possible 10 or 20 years ago, in the way it is done today) we have the argument that mushroom fungi are full of all kinds of good things, this vitamin and that vitamin, or whatever. So they say surely then things like fungi mushrooms must be "good for us to eat."  Well, I have a book on the breakdown of "foods" that tells you all the "good stuff" in PORK meat, LOBSTERS, CRAB. I'm sure if they analyzed my dog and cat for proteins, vitamins, minerals, they would find they have all kinds of "good stuff" in them also, especially the good stuff I feed them.        And I've just seen this last week a report on TV about SARS in China, where as it showed, they eat all kinds of exotic creatures down to the household cat. They now are thinking the SARS virus jumped from animal to man. The same would go for HORSES....wow, look at all the good grass and hay they eat. I worked in my younger days for some "Stud Farms" - you should have seen the great mix I had to give those horses a few times a week. I had to prepare a mixture of oats, barely, flax seed, boil it all up for a hour or so......was it good stuff, you bet it was, could have made a meal of it myself, the horses just loved it.  Buuuuttttt, horses still remain UNclean food for human consumption as far as God's laws for food go.       The subject goes deeper than just what certain animals eat, or what certain plants are in certain soils with certain manure in the soil. It goes down in part to the basic "molecule" structure of the animals, birds, fish, plants, and human, as well as in part to how plants work with the soil they are in and the sun above them. The block buster book "Silent Spring" by R.Carlson, that came out in 1962 was LAUGHED at by the scientific world. Part of her book was on "molecule" structure and how we are playing "Russian roulette" with it in the labs, and what all the chemicals were doing to our environment. Yes, they laughed at her for a while...UNTIL she was PROVED absolutely CORRECT in the 70s. Her book is still available through Amazon.com      This then brings us to another argument on vegetation laws. The argument goes: "The Hebrew words in Gen. 1:29 just means 'herb' with no color applied." Hence the argument throws out the word "green" attached to herb.       The Hebrew word is translated as "herb" by J. P. Green in his Hebrew/English Interlinear, reading as, "....And said God, Behold I have given to you every herb seeding seed......"  The word number is 6212 in Strong's Concordance.      Well it sounds like there maybe a case in this argument. Until we go over to Genesis 9:4 where we find the same word, but ALSO ANOTHER WORD before it, number 3418 in Strong's.       J. P. Green translates Gen.9:3 this way, "....Every creeping thing which is alive for you shall be food; as even plant, the green, I have given you...."  First is the word # 3418 for "as even plant" and second is # 6212 for "the green."      Strong in his Hebrew definition section of his concordance, says this on #6212, "eseb (ehseb); from an unused root mean. to glisten (or be green); grass (or any tender shoot): - grass, herb."      The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, in part says: "......The Hebrew 'eseb' may be compared to Arabic 'usb' 'green, fresh herbs, pasturage,' and to Akkadian 'esebu' 'to grow luxuriantly.' In Biblical Aramaic 'asab' occurs five times in Dan of Nebuchadnezzar's bestial afflictions, 'eating grass like an ox' ( Dan 4;15, 25, 32, 33  H 4:12, 22, 29-30; 5:21)......"      I think J. P. Green and the scholars of the KJV were not far out from being quite correct in their translation of Gen. 9:3, God had given to Noah the animals for food IN LIKE MANNER (with certain rules and guidelines) as He had given for the GREEN herb.      Did you know (it was on the news this past week, May 2003) that we have had 30 NEW virus on earth in the last 30 years. Man has thrown God and His Word out the window, we pollute our planet, we invent chemicals, we pollute the foods we grow, we mess around in the labs changing the molecular structure to plants and whatever else, we eat just about all and everything that moves or crawls. Religionists teach God has done away with or never did have ANY food laws, of vegetation, animals, birds, insects, or fish....and we wonder why have some of the sicknesses we have, and seen 30 new virus come on earth in the last 30 years. It is not all due to eating habits, but part of it sure is. ………………………… Food Laws #3 Mackerel and "scale" debate by P. Bennett      "These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the rivers, them shall ye eat" (Lev.11:9).      The mackerel is directly responsible for this series of articles (those written by P. Bennett - Keith Hunt).       As a child I was taught that the mackerel was unclean.....By some, the mackerel was claimed to be a scavenger, and they re-enforced their claim by pointing out that this was the reason why mackerel does not keep well.      There was a period in my life when I greatly enjoyed sea fishing. During the summer months there was the thrill of fishing for the larger fish, such as tope spurdog and possibly the occasional blue shark. The bait used to lure these fish was always fresh mackerel. As we steamed for the deep water fishing grounds all eyes would search for the telltale signs of feeding mackerel. Then would come a hectic five minutes as six rods brought aboard strings of writhing mackerel. In a short time the bait boxes would be full and as we continued out journey, came the task of cleaning up. As the mackerel thrashed around the decks, scales were shed everywhere. Since it appeared clear to me that mackerel had both fins and scales, were we correct to exclude it from our diets? Were we correct to label it as a scavenger?       The mackerel is of genuine 'Scomber" and is closely related to the tunny, which end up on our table as tuna.       The mackerel enters the waters around our southern and western coasts (Bennett is writing from the British Isles - Keith Hunt) during the warm summer months, where they follow and feed upon the shoals of sprats, white bait and other small fish. They are in the main, top and middle surface eaters, and cannot be described as scavengers. The mackerel is designed for speed in order to catch its pray. It has been claimed that, weight for weight, it is the fastest fish in the sea. Be that as it may, it is interesting to note that in order for the mackerel to sustain its great speeds, it has a blood temperature that is higher than most fish and the muscles in its body receive a far greater amount of blood. Also, the nervous system of the mackerel is more complete than in other species. These factors may help to explain why this fish deteriorates more rapidly, especially when exposed to the sun's heat for long periods before being landed.      Although it seemed to me that mackerel fell within God's definition of clean fish, conformation was necessary. Both the Zoological Society and the Natural History Museum stated that mackerel has both fins and scales.      During my fishing trips I have also caught plaice, dab, flounder and on the odd occasion, sole. Although these fish obviously have fins, it is not so obvious that they have scales. However, the two above mentioned bodies also confirm that they do have scales.      The orthodox Jew also considers these fish as 'kosher.' When I wrote for confirmation of this fact. I was informed that as a general guideline, a Jew can eat all fish with fins, scales and a backbone. The inclusion of backbone appears to be a Talmudic addition. However it does help to distinguish those fish of the group Actinopterygii (bony fish) from those of group Elasmobranches (cartilage fish), which groups includes the skate, and the dogfish, (which is eaten as rock salmon). Also from the class Marsipobranchii (jawless vertebrates) which includes lampreys and hagfish.      The command to eat only fish having both fins and scales would appear to be straightforward, and uncomplicated. HOWEVER, in this age when so many SCIENTISTS and TEACHERS openly SCORN the fact that God created all living creatures as separate beings, BUT RATHER WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE in the theory of EVOLUTION, there is another THREAT to OUR teachings.       In simple terms, the NEW  breed of marine biologist TEACHES that ALL fish, of whatever group, have SCALES. These scales, they claim, range from the PLACIOD scale of the shark to the THIN flexible and transparent types found on the cod and herring. Some scales, they claim, such as those on the EEL, are so minute they can only be seen through a MICROSCOPE. Other scales, during evolution, have become ENLARGED, FUSED together with others, or become modified for special use, as in the sword of the swordfish, and the thorns of the thornback rays, or the spines of the dogfish.      To the orthodox Jew, such teachings present little difficulty, as his definition, as already mentioned, excludes these because they lack a bony skeleton or backbone.      Are we able to answer these assertions which in effect claim ALL fish to be clean, especially as these claims are made at a time when the Muslim religion is influencing western thought, and culture? To the Muslim, ALL fish, including shellfish can be eaten. END of P. Bennett's article (all captial letter words were mine for emphasis  - Keith Hunt)      Now, we have yet one more argument that I had never heard of until May 2003. The argument goes like this: The food laws of Israel under Moses were never really food laws at all, but laws to make Israel different than other nations, and make then a holy special people, set apart from other nations.            I guess God giving out such laws somehow meant to God.....something, well to Him it made them holy in some way to observe these "eating restrictions" shall we then call them.       Of course such a thought and such a teaching means that there never was any real food laws of vegetation, animals, insects, birds, fish, AT ALL EVER, and so there is none today, as the days of Moses and ancient B.C. Israel are over with.      Well of course, against such an argument there is no real answer per se, for it is a complete "other way" of theological reading of the Bible, just as the Jehovah Witnesses read the verses about the literal return of Jesus in a way that for them there is no Bible teaching that Jesus will return in a literal way.      But for you who still believe in the food law of fish, with fins and "scales" I hope this article has been of some benefit.                     ..................... TO BE CONTINUED